High shear ball check valve device and a liquid ink image producing machine using same

Abstract

A high shear ball check valve device is provided and is suitable for use in a liquid ink image producing machine to quickly and precisely control flow of liquid ink. The high shear ball check valve device includes a valve housing defining a valve chamber. The valve chamber has a desired cross-dimension, an inlet end, and an outlet end. The high shear ball check valve device also includes an inlet member that is connected to the inlet end of the valve housing and has an inlet opening and a ball seat and seal portion surrounding the inlet opening. The ball seat and seal portion has a desired first durometer hardness value. The high shear ball check valve device next includes a valve ball having a desired diameter and being located movably within the valve chamber, and an outlet opening located at the outlet end of the valve chamber. The outlet opening has a rectangular shape, and a size that is slightly greater than the diameter of the valve ball, for creating a backward fluid flow pattern that results in relatively high shear stress on the valve ball. The relatively high shear stress thereby quickly moves the valve ball away from the outlet opening and back against the ball seat and seal portion to shut off the inlet opening.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A high shear ball check valve device comprising: 
       (a) a valve housing defining a valve chamber having a desired cross-dimension, an inlet end, and an outlet end;  
       (b) an inlet member connected to said valve housing, said inlet member including an inlet opening and a ball seat and seal portion surrounding said inlet opening and having a first desired durometer hardness value;  
       (c) a valve ball having a desired diameter and being located movably within said valve chamber; and  
       (d) an outlet opening located at said outlet end of said valve chamber, said outlet opening having a rectangular shape and a size slightly greater than said diameter of said valve ball for creating a backward fluid flow pattern having relatively high shear stress on said valve ball, thereby quickly moving said valve ball away from said outlet opening and back against said ball seat and seal portion, shutting off said inlet opening.  
     
     
       2. The high shear ball check valve device of  claim 1 , wherein said valve chamber has a rectangular cross-section for creating high shear corner flow of a fluid from said Inlet end, around said valve ball, and through said outlet opening. 
     
     
       3. The high shear ball check valve device of  claim 2 , wherein said rectangular cross-section of said valve chamber is a square cross-section. 
     
     
       4. The high shear ball check valve device of  claim 1 , including a stop cap located downstream of said valve ball relative to fluid flow from said inlet end. 
     
     
       5. The high shear bail check valve device of  claim 1 , wherein said inlet member comprises a soft silicone rubber tube. 
     
     
       6. The high shear ball check valve device of  claim 1 , wherein said valve ball is made of a fluorocarbon material having a desired second durometer hardness value. 
     
     
       7. The high shear ball check valve device of  claim 6 , wherein said desired second durometer hardness value is greater than said desired first durometer harness value of said ball seat and seal portion. 
     
     
       8. A molten liquid ink flow control assembly for controlling flow of molten liquid ink, the molten liquid ink flow control assembly comprising: 
       (a) a first storage reservoir for storing a first quantity of a molten liquid ink;  
       (b) a second storage reservoir connected to said first storage reservoir for holding a second quantity of said molten liquid ink; and  
       (e) flow control means for controlling flow of said molten liquid ink from said first storage reservoir into and through said second storage reservoir, said flow control means including back pressurization means for pressurizing said second storage reservoir, and a high shear ball check valve device mounted between said first storage reservoir and said second storage reservoir, said high shear bill check valve device including a valve housing, a valve ball located within said valve housing, and an outlet opening having a rectangular shape for creating a backward fluid flow pattern that results in relatively high shear stress on said valve ball, thereby quickly moving said valve ball from an open valve position to a closed valve position, and enabling quick and precise liquid ink flow control.  
     
     
       9. The molten liquid ink flow control assembly of  claim 8 , wherein said valve chamber has a rectangular cross-section for creating high shear corner flow of a fluid from said inlet end, around said valve ball, and through said outlet opening. 
     
     
       10. The molten liquid ink flow control assembly of  claim 9 , wherein said rectangular cross-section of said valve chamber is a square cross-section. 
     
     
       11. The molten liquid ink flow control assembly of  claim 8 , including a stop cap downstream of said valve ball relative to fluid flow from said inlet end. 
     
     
       12. The molten liquid ink flow control assembly of  claim 8 , wherein said inlet member comprises a soft silicone rubber tube. 
     
     
       13. The molten liquid ink flow control assembly of  claim 8 , wherein said valve ball is made of a fluorocarbon material having a desired second durometer hardness value. 
     
     
       14. The molten liquid ink flow control assembly of  claim 13 , wherein said desired second durometer hardness value is greater than said desired first durometer harness value of said ball seat and seal portion. 
     
     
       15. A phas change ink image producing machine comprising: 
       (a) a control subsystem for controlling operation of all subsystems and components of the image producing machine;  
       (b) a movable imaging member having an imaging surface;  
       (c) a printhead system connected to said control subsystem for ejecting drops of melted liquid phase change ink onto said imaging surface to form an image; and  
       (d) a melter assembly for heating and melting said pieces of solid phase change ink to form molten liquid ink; and  
       (e) a molten liquid ink flow control assembly for controlling flow of molten liquid ink, the molten liquid ink flow control assembly including:  
       (i) a first storage reservoir for storing a first quantity of molten liquid ink;  
       (ii) a second storage reservoir connected to said first storage reservoir for holding a second quantity of molten liquid ink; and  
       (iii) flow control means for controlling flow of molten liquid ink from said first storage reservoir into and through said second storage reservoir, said flow control means including back pressurization means for pressurizing said second storage reservoir, and a high shear ball check valve device mounted between said first storage reservoir and said second storage reservoir, said high shear ball check valve device including a valve housing, a valve ball located within said valve housing, and an outlet opening having a rectangular shape for creating a backward fluid flow pattern that results in relatively high shear stress on said valve ball, thereby quickly moving said valve ball from an open valve position to a closed valve position, and enabling quick and precise liquid ink flow control.  
     
     
       16. The phase change ink image producing machine of  claim 15 , wherein said valve chamber has a rectangular cross-section for creating high shear corner flow of a fluid from said Inlet end, around said valve ball, and through said outlet opening. 
     
     
       17. The phase change ink image-producing machine of  claim 16 , wherein said rectangular cross-section of said valve chamber is a square cross-section. 
     
     
       18. The phase change ink image producing machine of  claim 15  including a stop cap downstream of said valve ball relative to fluid flow from said inlet end. 
     
     
       19. The phase change ink image producing machine of  claim 15 , wherein said inlet member comprises a soft silicone rubber tube. 
     
     
       20. The phase change ink image producing machine of  claim 15 , wherein said valve ball is made of a fluorocarbon material having a desired second durometer hardness value.